Automatic musical instrument.



J. C. DEHLS.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. vA'P1 I.IG.A.TI0N FILED JUNE 2a, 1913.

A 1,096,157, Patented May 12, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. G. DEHLS. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

uruoulon' rum JUNE 2,3. 191s,-

Patented May' 12, v1914.

2 SHEETS-BREST I.

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JOHN c. -BEHLa or BROOKLYN, .NEW YORK, AssiGNoP. rro NATIONAL BNEUMA'TIC AOTIONCO.,'1NO., or New YORK, N Y., A OORBOKATION OF NEWYORK AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

` Be it known thatv I, JOHN C. DEHLS, a

citizenof the .United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in'the county of Kings and State' of New vYork', vhave invented certain "new and useful Improvements in Automatic Musical Instruments, oflwhich the following ,a specification.

The Ainvention pertains more particularly to what are commonly y.known as tracking devices or means for securing the proper alinement of the 'perforations in a music -sheet`- with the 'openings in a tracker bar,

taining such alinenient, the features of my invention automatically acting to restore the. alinement of the perforations in the traveling sheet with the openings in the trackerbar at anytime there should be a variance-in such alinement Incarrying out my invention I may employ either a rigidly held tracker bar or a slida-ble tracker bal-located between a music spool which is free to have limited endwise ,movement and a wind-up spool which is not capable of endwise movement, and with said featuresI combine a pneumatic or bellows which is' normally under constant light suction. and comprises two chambers substantially subdividedby a central partition, and

. openings facing the perforated sheet closely 4liadjacen't to the edges thereof, the hollow a hinged kframe capable of being moved against the perforated sheety in close proximity to the tracker bar and which frame is hollow .inits end portions and has small end lportions ofgsald frame being respectivelyconnected with the aforesaid` pneumaticso [that upon any lateral movement of ,f the perforated'sheet' suiicient to expose either' 'of` .the openings in said frame, atmospherieairfinay enter such opening. and pass to Athe pneumatic, With the result that the subdividi'ng partition therein will move in onezjlirection or the other and effect the endwise movement of the music spool for the Specific-ation of Letters Patent.

f Patented Mayia, 1914.

Application led .T une 23, 1913. Serial No. 775,238.

purpose of correcting the travel of the music sheet. -I also preferably connect the -tracker lbar by a link with the partition of the pneumatic in order that said bar, then slidable, may coperate with theaforesaid' hinged frame in securing the proper register of the perforations iny the music sheet with the openings in said bar. A The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionl hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:v

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section 'of the musicbox of a piano player equipped with the features constituting my invention, the music sheet being shown as traveling from the Vmusic spool to the take-up spool; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same on the dotted line 2-2 Of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an end view of the same taken from the right hand end of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is afdetached rear view, partly broken awa-y and partly in section, of the hinged frame which during the employment ofthe invention engages the traveling sheet adjacent tO the tracker bar, Fig. 2 being` presented to show the openings in the rear side ofthe end portions of said frame and also the means by which communication between the end portions of said frame is prevented; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached' sectional view through the central portion of one of the horizontal members of the hinged frame and is presented to illustrate the means for adjusting the length of the same to the requirements of the width of the music sheet; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a portion of one of the members of the hinged frame and illustrates the employment of a valve to be operated by the edge Of the music sheet as a substitute for the opening, shown in I`ig. 4, in the rear side of the hinged framefor engaging the face of the traveling sheet, the section on which Fig. 6 is taken being indicated by the] Idotted line 6 6 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the features shown in Fig. 6 and illustrates a portion vof the traveling music sheet in engagement with the valve arm for operating'the valve on variations of travel in the sheet. z

In the -:.:awings, 10 designatesa customary form and construction of music-box adapted to support a tracker bar 11, a music c spool 12, and a take-up spool 13, to receive a music sheet 14 as unwound from the spool 12 and topermit the re-winding of said sheet on saidLv spool 12 when the latter is to be removed from the frame 10. The means for rotating the spools 12, 13 are well known in the art and have. not, therefore, been illustrated, my invention not pertaining to the shitting gears cr other like parts of a piano player. The spool 12 has a socket at one end to receive a spring-pressed spindle 15 of known form and construction, and at its other end said spool is detachably keyed to the inner end of a spindle 16 which, in this instance,` I carry through a bearing in the vert-ical side of the box or frame 10 and mount thereon a' grooved disk 17 to receive the lower rounded end of a lever 18 which is pivoted to the supporting bracket 19 and has its upper end connected with one end of a rod 20. whose other end is connected with the partition 2l which subdivides the bellows or pneumatic into two compartments 22, 23, said compartments being, however, in communication with each other through a small pin-hole 24 in the lower end of said partition. The pneumatic or bellows, numbered 25 as a whole, is in communication through a conduit 26 with means for creating` a partial vacuum therein.

Between the sides of the music box 10 and -journaled in said sides so as to be capable of 30, 31 being separated from each other a distance slightly greater than the width ofthe vtracker bar 11 and adapted to engage the 'traveling sheet 14 above 'and below said tracker bar so as to press said sheet lightly but firmly against the perforated face of said bar. 'The side-members 28, 29 of the frame 27 are hollow and have right-angular portions 32. 33, respectively, at their lower ends extending through the bearings in the sides of the music box 10 and respectively connected by conduits 34, 35'with the chambers 22, 23 of the pneumatic 25, said conduits being flexible so that the frame 27 may be conveniently turned upwardly against the traveling sheet 14. as shown in Fig. 1, or downwardly therefrom, as may' be desired. The frame 27 constitutes one of the more important features of my invention, although the invention is not limited to the specific form of frame 27 shown; The horizontal members 30, '31 of the frame 27 are provided on their rear faces in close proximity to the edges of the traveling sheet 14 with small apertures or air inlet openings 36, 37, which, during the proper travel of the sheet 14, are closed b v said sheet, but which on the 'departure of said sheet froml its properalinement with the openings in the tracker bar 11 will, at one side or other of the sheet, become exposed or uncovered, and permit atmospheric air to pass to the pneumatic 25 and operate, with the other features of the invention, to restore the traveling sheet-to its proper line of travel.

The frame 27` comprises two sections conneeted together by turn-buckles or nuts 38, by means of which said sections may be adjusted laterally from or toward each other for the purpose of adjusting the same and the openings 36, 37 therein to the width of the traveling sheet 14. The two sections of the frame 27, while hollow, are separated from each other, so far as air communication is concerned, bv means of internal plugs 39 (Fig. 4), as well as b v the turn-buckles or nuts 38, it being the intention that each end portion or section of said frame shall act independently of the other in restoring the sheet 14 to its proper line of travel. I provide the frame 27 with a spring 40 which may serve to lightly press the upper portion of said frame or the members 30, 31 thereof against. the traveling sheet 14 above and below the tracker bar 11, as shown in Fig. 2, said spring 40-also when the frame 27 is turned outwardly and downwardly from its operative position shown in Fig. 2. acting tolhold said frame in its then lower position. The frame 27 will be held in its upper position during the travel of the music sheet 14 and may be turned to its lower position when it is desiredto rewind said sheet upon the spool 12 and place a further music sheet within the box 10. The frame 27 may he moved to its operative and inoperative position by hand. but in the present instance I have provided a pneumatic 41 by means of which said frame 27 may be moved automatically, said pneumatic 41 at Aits hinged sidehaving an arm 42 pivotally connected with a rack bar 43 in mesh with a gear wheel 44 secured on the horizontal member 33 of said frame 27.

In Fig. 3 I illustrate the rack bar 43 and gear wheel 44 as having been operated rearwardly by vacuum in the pneumatic 41 to turn the frame 27 to its operative position, and by the arrow shown in Fig. 3 I indicate the movementthat the gear wheel 44 will have when atmospheric air is admit-ted to the pneumatic 41 andthe latter opens to move the rack 4bar 43 forwardly for the purposeof-turning the frame 27 forwardly and downwardly from the trav- 'eli'ng sheet 14. I may employ the pneu- 'freedom of the moving parts which might cause a rattling noise or Mbe otherwise objectionable. While I prefer to employ automatic meansv for moving the frame 27 from one to the other of its two positions, it "is perfectly obviousv that said frame may be operated by hand and thatunder such condition the' spring 4() is useful in binding the frame 27 in each of said positions.' Stops 45, 46 maybe employed, if desired, for preventing undue movement of the frame 27 from one to the other of its positions, as

shown in Fig. 2.

1. The hinged or movable side of the pneulnati'c 41 is connected with a spring 60 whose normal tendency is to move said side to its open position and cause the rack-bar 43 to turn the frame 27 to its lower or inoperative position. A tube 61 communicates with the interior of the pneumatic 41.

In the operation of a musical instrument employing my invention,[vacuum is created in the player action to permit the player to work, as in playing, as usual; and this vacuum acts through the tubel to close or collapse the pneumatic 41 in o position to the force of the spring 60 and e ect, through the ra-cklbar 43, the movement of the frame 27 to its operative position. On re-rolling the music sheet on the instrument, vacuum communication is cut olf from the action, as customary in all lusual players7 and this will have the effect of cutting olf the vacuum from the pneumatic 41 and permitting the spring 60 to, through the hinged side of the pneumatic 41, arm 42 carried thereby, rackbar 43 and gear wheel `44, move the frame 27 to its lower 'or inoperative position.

I-` illustratel the traveling' sheet 14 and frame 27 in their normal operative position in Figs.' 1 and 2, and it will be observed that the openings 36, 37, indicated by'dotted lines in Fig. l, are closely adjacent to the extreme vertical edges ofthe sheet 14. So long as the traveling sheet 14 remains in proper alinement with' the usual aperturesv in the tracker bar 11, the pneumatic 25and frame 27 will be practically inoperative, ex-' cept for the fact that the frame 27 performs t-he duty of keeping the travelingsheet.14 in suitably close relation to the front face of said tracker bar. On any variation, however, of thetravel ofthe sheet 14 toward the right, lookingat Fig. 1, the openings 36 inthe members 30, 31 of the frame 27 will become partly or wholly exposed by being uncoveredfby the ydivergence of the traveling sheet, .and atmospheric air will duit .34 will enter the. chamber 22 ofthe pneumatic 25, with the. result that the ,dis-V turbance in said vchaxnl)er oitlie partial Ethrough the rod 20, lever 1S, wheel v17 and splndle 16, move the music spool 12 toward the left, for the purpose of correcting the travel of the music sheet and restoring it to its proper alinement with the -openings in the tracker bar 11. the right of the partition 2l also, in the preferred construction, results in the tracker bar being moved slightly toward the right so that its perforations may, to the maximum extent, be kept in alinement with the openings in the perforated sheet 14 during the lateral movement of said sheet. On any divergence of the line of travel of the sheet 14 'toward the left, looking at Fig. 1, the openings 37 in the members 30, 31 of the frame 37, will become more or less exposed with the result that atmospheric air passing through the same will enter the side member 29 of said frame and thence travel through the member 33 and conduit 35 and enter the chamber 23 of the pneumatic 25,

vwith the result that the partition 21 of said pneumatic will move toward the left and, drawing through the rod 20 and lever 1S, move the grooved wheel 17 and spindle 1G toward the right and allow the springpressed spindle 15 to move the music spool 12 correspondingly toward the right, following up the spindle 16, for the purpose of correcting the travel of the music sheet 14 and restoring it to proper alinement with the perforations or openings in the tracker bar 11, the said tracker bar by its connection with the partition 21 being given a movementv intended to keep its openings or perforations as far .as may be possible in alinement with the perforations in said music sheet..

`As the music sheet-14 moves to the left to recover the 'openings 36 in the frame 27 or toward the right to recovervthe openings 37 in said frame, whileregaining its proper line of travel, said openings becoming excluded from the entrance of atmospheric air, allow the pneumatic 25 under the suction through the conduit -26 to regain its normal condition shown in Fig. 1 ready to act on any vfurther divergence of the line of `travel of the musicsheet.; I illustrate `the frame 27 as -havingtwo The' movement toward' horizontal members 30,31 topress the traveling sheet 14 and 11s-each. .having at each end air inlet openngsfal, 37 to beuncovered by the sheet 14 as-it .divergeslater` 'ally toward the right' or left, but itis' t0 be understood-mat the invention would'be entirely operativeif the openings inthe member `30 gwere absent and'. theppenings in 'the member 31 present vor-'the .openings in the member' 30 vpresent .and the openings in the member 31 absent, since the atmospheric air passinginto the-openings of either the mem- .ber 30 or theimember`31, result in the -.P!1llmlt Shiftefh spool in its action When both the members 30, 31 are employed vvith each having perforations I' 5 or openings 36,37 therein. I also prefer to employ both the members 30, 431 because vWhen both members are employed I may v'press the traveling sheet 14 above and below the tracker bar against said bar, b'ut one of '1o said members maybe entirely omitted since eitherof said members may have the openings 36, 37 and also serve to press the traveling sheet against the tracker bar. In some instances it may not be possible to employ both ofthe members 30,. 31, for Want of space or other reason, and in such instance I will prefer to omit the upper member 30 a'nd employ only the lower member 31, the'frame 27 with only said lower member 31 occupying less space than would be required by said frame having both members 30, 31. I deem it of very great advantage to have an exterior frame 27 of any suitable construction having openings 36, 37 near its end -portions normally 'closed by the traveling sheet 14 and adapted to be opened on the divergence of the'line of travel of said sheet for 4the purpose of operating the pneumatic to correct said line oftravel and maintain the -34' perforations in the music sheet in line with the openings in the tracker bar, and hence I do not limit my invention to the special form of the frame 27, although I have shown in the drawingsthe form 'of frame preferred 35 by me. It is not necessary, also, that the tracker bar 1 1 be slidable and connected with the partition 21, but obviously the rendition of the music will be more accurate when said bar is slidable and connected Withsaid par- 4o tition sothat the openings inthe bar may follow the perforations in the music sheet 14. The trame 27l is slidably mounted in its bearing in the sides of theimus'ic box 10 so that When-desired it may be shifted laterally for the purposel ofv transposing, and, Ias shown in Fig. 1, I connect said frame 27 with an auxiliary frame 47 extending through the sides of the music box and through bearings 48 and provide said frame y 47 with an internally threaded adjusting nut 49 engaging a thread on said frame and conned at one edge in a recess. 50 in the bottom of the musicbox. When the nut 49 is turned in one direction or the other it will by being confined in the recess 50 and engaging the thread 51 on the frame 47, cause'sa'id frame to travel laterally and move in a corresponding direction the trame 27. The frame 47 is detachablyconnected with the frame 27 by means ot 'screws' and preferably the frame 47 is provided with a pointer 53 in operative relation to a scale on thebox 1G to guide the operator in adjusting said frame.

v 6x; In Figs. 1, 2 and 4I illustrate the openings 36, 37 in the members of the frame 27 as facing the traveling sheet 14 and to be covered or uncovered by the Jface contactI of said sheet vvith said members. I may hovvever provide valved openings beyond 'the 70 Vedges of the sheet 14 and depend upon the extreme vertical edges of the sheet to operate the valves for said openings, as I illustrate in Figs. 6 and 7, in which 55 represents one of the horizontal members oi. the frame 27 75 having an opening 56 outwardly beyond the traveling sheet 14 and provided With a valve 57 carried by a pivoted arm l58 normally adjacent to the edge of the sheet 14. rl-he valve57 is normally held inits closed posi- 80 tion by means of a spring 59 and saidvalve will be opened in opposition to the force of said spring on any divergence of the traveling sheet 14 carrying its edge against the lever 58 tending to turn said lever outwardly 85 on its pivotalbearing. The uncovering of the opening 56 by the valve 57 results in the air entering the member 55 and flowing to the pneumatic25, with the same result that is effected when the air enters the openings 90 36, 37 in the frame'27, as hereinbet'ore eX- plained. Figs. 6 and 7 represent a modification of the invention in respect to the openings in the members 30, 31 for the admission of atmospheric air to or its exclusion 'from 95 vthe conduits 34, 35 leading to the pneumatic 25.

What I cla-im as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In mechanism of the lclass described, having` a perforated music-sheet, in combination with an endvvise movable spool for said sheet, means `for moving said Spool in one direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool in the reverse direction' comprising a frame movable toward and fromsaid sheet and having-a normally closed air passage to be opened by said sheet on a divergence from its line of travel, a pneumatic in communication with saidl frame, anda connection from said pneumaticto said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic. r

2. In mechanism ot the class described, having a perforated music-sheet, in combi-v nation vvith anendvvise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool in the reverse direction comprising a frame movable toivard and from said sheet and having independent normallyT closed air passages adjacent to its ends to be opened, one or the other. by the sheet on a divergence from vits line of travel, a pneumatic having independent communication vvith the ends ofsaid frame. and aronnection from the pneumatic 'to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic.

3. In mechanism of the class described, having a perforated music-sheet, in combi- 139 los nation; with an vendwise movable spool for said's-heet, means" for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-banni? means for moving said spool in the reverse direction comprising a frame vmovable toward and from said sheet and having a normally closed -air passage to be opened by said sheet on a divergence from `its liiieof travel, -a pneumatic in Acommunication With said frame, and a connection from said pneumatic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic, said tracker-bar being longitudin'ally slidable and connected with the movable member of said pneumatic to be actuated therefrom.

4. In ymechanism of the class described, having a perforated music-sheet, in combination with an endwise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and aptracker-bar, of means for moving s aid spool in the reverse direction comprising a frame movable toward 'and from said sheet and having independent trackerbar being longitudinally slidable and connected. With the movable member of said pneumatic to be actuated therefrom.

5. In mechanism of the class described, having a perforated music-sheet, in combination with an endWise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving Said spool in bnc direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool in the reverse direction comprising a frame movable toward Yand from said sheet and having independent `normallv closed air-passages adjacent to its ends to be opened, one or the other, by the `sheet on a divergence from its line of travel, .45,

a pneumatic having independent communication With the ends of said frame, a ccnnection from the pneumatic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic, and

means for shifting said frame relatively to "the music-sheet for transposing.

6. In mechanism of the class described, having a. perforated music-sheet, in combination with an endwise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool .inthe reverse direction comprising a frame movable toward and from said sheet and having independent normally closed. air passages adjacent to its ends to be opened, one or the other, by the sheet on a divergence from-its line of travel,

a pneumatic having independent communication With the ends of said. frame, and a connection from the pneumatic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic, said frame having means for adjusting its length to meet the requirements of the musicsheet.

7. In mechanism .of the class described, having a perforated inusic-sheet, in combina- V,tion With an endwise movable spool for said ,sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-baig'of means for moving said spool in the reverse direction comprisino a frame movable ltoward and from saidD sheetand having independent normally closed air passages adjacent to its ends to be opened, one or the other, by the -sheet on a divergence from its line of travel, a pneumatic having independent communication with the ends of said frame, a connection from said pneumatic to said spool to shift the same. from the pneumatic, and apneuniatic for moving said frame to its operative and inoperative positions.-

,8. In mechanism of the classdescribed, having a perforated music-sheet, in combination with an endwise movablev spool for `said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool in the reverse direction comprising a frame extending across said sheet adjacent to and pressing the same against vthe tracker-bar and having independent normally closed air passages adjacent to its ends to be opened, one or the other, by the-sheet on a divergence from its line of travel, a pneumatic having independent communication with the ends of.

said frame, and a connection from the pneumatic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic.

9. In mechanism of the class described, having a perforated inusic-shect, in combination with an endwise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool in the reverse direction comprising a frame extending across said sheet adjacent to the upper and lower portions of and pressingthe same against the tracker-bar and having independent nor'- mally closed air passages adjacent to its ends to be opened, one or the other, by the sheet on a divergence from its line of travel, a pneumatic having independent. communica- 'tion with the ends of said frame, and a connection from the pneumatic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic.

l0. In mechanism of the class described, having a perforated music-sheet, in combination with an endwise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction.y and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool in the reverse direction comprising a hinged frame having side members and a connecting member extending when the frame is in operative position across said sheet and said frame having independent normally closed air passages adother, by the sheet on a divergence from its said frame, and a connection from the pneu-- jacent to its ends to be opened, one or the line of travel, a pneumatic having independent communication With the ends/of matic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic.

11. In -mechanism of the class described, having a perforated music-sheet, in combination with an endivise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool in -the reverse direction comprising a hinged frame having side members and aconnecting member extending. when the frame is in operative position across said sheet adjacent to the lower 'edge of the tracker-bar and. said frame having lindependent normallly closed air passages adjacent to its endsto be opened, one or the other, bythe sheet on .a divergence froml its line of travel, a pneumatic having independent communication with the ends .of said frame, and a connection from the pneumatic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic.

12. In mechanism of thev class described@ having a perforated music-sheet, in combi; nation with an endwise movable spool for said sheet, means for moving said spool in one direction, and a tracker-bar, of means for moving said spool lin the reverse direction comprising a hinged frame having side members and two connecting transverse members' extending respectively when the frame is in operative position across said sheet adjacent to the upper and loiver edge portions of the tracker-bar and said frame having independent normally closed air passages adjacent to its ends to be opened, one or the other, by the sheet on a divergence from its line of travel, a pneumatic having independent communication with the ends of said frame, and a connection from the pneumatic to said spool to shift the spool from said pneumatic.

` Signed at New York city` in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of June, A. D. 1913.`

'JOHN o. Danis.

' itnesses ARTHUR MARION, CHAs. GILL.

ist@ 

